Fishing for the Big One!

Day One:

After landing at the Boise International Airport, you will be greeted by a representative from the Baker County Tourism department. Leaving the airport, first stop will be at Howard’s in Nampa Idaho, to get your Oregon fishing licenses and gear. Baker City or bust! Many a pioneer and miner said those very words! Dinner will be at Barley Browns Brew Pub…and the “Brew Tasting Tray” is not to be passed up! Your lodging facility will be the Always Welcome Inn.

Day Two:

Breakfast at the Inn, plus a cooler filled with ice, water, soft drinks and snacks for the day greet you in the morning. You are in for a day of Catfish angling on the Snake River. Meeting you in Huntington will will be your host for the day. Box lunches will be provided by Howell’s Café. After your day on the River, and if time allows, you will be treated to a tour of “Lil Millie” and a private Railroad Display with Owen Farrar. Dinner will be at the Baker Truck Corral and overnight again, at the Always Welcome Inn.

Day Three:

Breakfast at the Inn, then it is on the trail again…this time to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. View the historic ruts…see the exhibits that really give you an idea of what it was like on that 2000 mile trek. In Richland, you will join the locals for a delicious lunch at the Shorthorn Bar and Grill. After reaching your destination of Halfway, you will visit the Lone Fir Friesians ranch and the Marion Brisk Farm. This farm uses draft horses for everything…and what a collection of antique machinery. Dinner will be at Wild Bill & Co. Overnight lodging will be at the Halfway Motel.

Day Four:

A hearty breakfast will be served at Wild Bill & Co, and you will need it! Today, you will experience the “Kirkwood Tour” on the Snake River in the world famous Hell’s Canyon! This is an all day tour and lunch will be provided. Following a day of unforgettable camera shots…you will be dining and lodging at the headquarters for the Hell’s Canyon Adventures.

Day Five:

After breakfast, the motorcoach will wind itself out of the Canyon and back to civilization via the I-84 to Pendleton Oregon. It is only right that you are introduced to the people that inhabited this land long before the white man ever left a footprint here. Welcome to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, a place where their stores are told. Lunch will be at their on-site café. It doesn’t matter where you live, the term “Pendleton” immediately brings to mind beautiful things made from wool…it is here that you will tour the facility plus shop in their flagship store. Put the purchases on the coach, and time to stretch those legs with a walking tour along the Umatilla River and a few of the historic homes along the way. Dinner will be at a local favorite that is known for their Steaks (other things too.) For the next two nights, the Pendleton Oxford Suites will be host.

Day Six:

Breakfast at the hotel, and then it is a day of adventure and Old West history. Let’s get a little background on what you’ll be seeing today with a visit to the Heritage Museum, and then it is a short walk to Mayson’s Old Fashioned General Store. Now this is really a “Step Back in Time!” Keith will relate stories about the ‘old days’ of Pendleton while you await your guide to the Pendleton Underground tours. Enjoy a fabulous lunch at the Great Pacific Restaurant complete with espresso..but wait…Oregon wine you say? Make your selection and purchase it here. After lunch you will be visiting those enterprising business people that make a cowboy….a real cowboy! First stop, Hamley& Company Store. Not only will you find clothes, jewelry, art, but saddle making…after all, it is what made Hamley’s famous in the first place! The next most important things to a cowboy is his hat and boots! You will be visiting both and watching these masters of the trade at work. It is time for a little afternoon pick-me-up..and nothing could be better than….Chocolate! Be prepared to taste the finest chocolate treat ever! Dinner tonight will be at the famous Hamley’s Steak House in a private dining room.

Day Seven:

Your hotel breakfast is finished, but a visit to Pendleton would not be complete without a visit and tour of the Pendleton Round Up’s Hall of Fame and the famous Arena. This place comes alive every September for the annual week-long celebration. Rest easy; enjoy the mountains, the valleys, and the desert when suddenly…Mt.Hood looms in front of you. You have arrived in Hood River Oregon. Every man is intrigued with those ‘flying and driving machines’ and the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum is the place to see it all. Dinner tonight will be at the Horse Feathers Restaurant. Lodging will be on the Columbia River at the Hood River Inn for two nights.

Day Eight:

Breakfast and box lunches will be provided by the Hood River Inn. After a stop to pick up the fishing licenses, cooler with ice, water, soft drinks and snacks, because today, you will be fishing for the really big ones…the Sturgeon with KD Guide Service. After a day on the river, a steak is in order…and Huntington’s Steakhouse is just the place!

Day Nine:

Last view of the Columbia River from the Hood River Inn during breakfast as the next part of your adventure will take through the world famous Columbia River Gorge and the Historic Highway. Majestic waterfalls, a handcrafted roadway, basalt cliffs, massive landslides and historic buildings…just a taste of what you will be taking pictures of today. Arriving at McMenamins in Troutdale, lunch will be served at the Black Rabbit, followed by a round of golf on their Par 3 course. After golf, but before dinner, you will be treated to wine tasting in their Gallery. To round out your river experience…a dinner cruise on the Willamette with Portland Spirit. Overnight host will be McMenamins Edgefield.

Day Ten:

After a robust breakfast, the motorcoach will be traveling on I-5 and Hiway 30 to Astoria. Work off that breakfast by climbing the stairs to the top of the Astoria Column…the view is breathtaking! Lunch will be at the Fort George Brewery, followed by a visit to the Maritime Museum. Don’t miss the Coast Guard cutter display! Cross over the bridge to the Long Beach Peninsula in the State of Washington. A Mayor’s reception and red carpet welcome will greet you as you enter Long Beach. Prepare yourselves for a Coastal adventure ….. a steak fry at Beard’s Hollow….but that is only part of the adventure! The real adventure begins when you climb onto a horse, or into a horse drawn wagon to get there! Our Place at the Beach will be your home away from home.

Day Eleven:

The Cottage Bakery is known far and wide for the incredible display in their pastry cases…but wait until you taste their biscuits and gravy for breakfast! And their sandwiches are the best….you will have the opportunity to taste them as they will be providing your box lunches for the day. Your motorcoach will be taking you to the Port of Ilwaco for a day of Charter Salmon Fishing. No visit to the beach would be complete without an evening meal from Doogers Seafood and Grill.

Day Twelve:

Breakfast again will be provided by the Cottage Bakery, and then it is a farewell to the Long Beach Peninsula and hello to the metropolitan city of Seattle! After a relaxing ride along I-5 northbound, get ready for an experience that will ‘fly you to the moon!’ The Museum of Flight is filled with exhibits that follow the historical route of air travel as we know it today! Dinner will be at the Copperleaf Restaurant. Your lodging for the two nights will be the Cedarbrook Lodge. Located just minutes away from SEATAC, but located on 18 acres of restored natural lush wetlands…you will be captivated by the quintessentially Northwestern style of your guest room and common areas.

Day Thirteen:

Breakfast will served in the picturesque and comfy Tamarack Hall, just steps away from your room..eat hearty as adventure awaits you! Wear comfortable walking shoes, be sure and take your camera and jacket as you will not be returning until evening! What better way to visit Seattle than by land and water! “Ride the Ducks of Seattle” provide the best of both worlds. Every city has its “seamy side” but Seattle takes it one step further….by offering you a glimpse of what the City looked like during the 1800’s…and the stories that the pioneers didn’t want you to hear! Following the Underground Tour , enjoy lunch, shopping and sight-seeing along the waterfront on Alaskan Way. To close your Northwest excursion, your final evening will be spent on Blake Island as a guest of Tillicum Village. Begin with a narrated cruise from Pier 55 to the Island only to be greeted by steamed clams in nectar. Make your way into the longhouse and watch as the whole salmon is cooked in the traditional Northwest Coast Indian style. You will enjoy a fabulous salmon buffet meal followed by a show that highlights the Coastal Salish tribes through storytelling and symbolism. Time enough for you to explore the grounds and gift shop before returning to Pier 55!

Day Fourteen:

After your hearty breakfast in Tamarack Hall, it is time to bid adieu to the beautiful Pacific Northwest! It is hoped that your experience has shown you the unparalleled beauty, the true and gracious hospitality of its peoples, and the myriad of activities that can be found here….please return soon!